Ars reviews the 6th-generation iPod nano: all screen, all the time

The sixth-generation iPod nano is unlike any other iPod nano Apple has ever …

The sixth-generation iPod nano's design marks the largest divergence from the nano line since the device was introduced in 2005. The new device is also the first iPod nano to have a touchscreen interface, and the last iPod with a screen to get a touchscreen interface (not counting the languishing iPod classic, as that would just turn it into an iPod touch). As of now, the nano no longer has the telltale circular click wheel that helped to make the iPod so iconic.

However, the new iPod nano differs from its touchscreen iDevice brethren in that it doesn't run iOS, or at least not a version of iOS that any of us are familiar with so far. In reality, the sixth-generation nano is kind of a mutant—a cross between the old iPod and the new, where you can move things around with your finger but can still only play music and perform a few other functions. What to make of this electronic chimera?

In the box

It's really more of a tiny plastic cube than a box, but Apple includes the typical items inside: the 8GB or 16GB nano displayed on top with instruction booklets underneath, then the headphones and the USB cable.

There is nothing special to note here—especially if you're at all familiar with any of Apple's other iPods—except for the headphones. Strangely, Apple has chosen not to include its now-typical headphones with built-in remote with the new iPod nano. The device does work with such headphones (if you buy them from Apple, or use a pair that you got with a different iDevice)—you can pause, play, skip ahead, skip back, and turn up/down the volume—but you apparently don't get that privilege included with your $149 or $179 purchase. (A reader has pointed out that the previous-gen nano didn't come with headphones with a remote either.)

iPod nano top

iPod nano bottom

Yes, it has a clip!

Okay, we take that back. The other obvious difference is that the nano (again) no longer has its "stick of gum" form factor. The sixth-gen nano is now a tiny square with a clip on the back—barely bigger than the iPod shuffle, and practically all screen on the front. In fact, the nano and shuffle are now more similar than they have ever been, the only major differences between them being the existence of the screen, an iPod dock connector on the bottom, and volume buttons on the top.

Can I get an icon wobble?

As we mentioned earlier, the new nano's interface sports a very iOS-like look. The screen can hold four rounded-corner icons at a time, and there are four screens that you can swipe through with your finger (indicated by the row of dots along the bottom of the screen). If you have ever used an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, you'll instinctively know how to interact with it. Tap on the icon you want to select and scroll through lists by moving up or down with your finger.

It may in fact be some secret variation of iOS (it would be almost crazy if it weren't), but Apple insists that it's definitely not iOS and you should stop thinking those unclean thoughts immediately.

Indeed, there are parts of the nano's not-iOS variant that behave differently than the real iOS. For one, there's no home button to tap when you want to return to the icons from within an "app"—instead, you can either swipe right (to essentially go "back," like in a browser), or you can tap and hold in the center of the screen until the home screen comes back up.

Additionally, there's no way to sync any apps of yours to the device. What you see is what you get, and you are limited to nine options related to audio you synced from iTunes (now playing, playlists, artists, albums, songs, genres, genius mixes, composers, and podcasts), the radio tuner, fitness, photos, clock, and settings.

You can't organize things into folders, but you can move around the icons in order to prioritize the ones that you use the most. Again, this is just like on other iOS devices—you tap and hold on an icon to make them all wobble, then drag the icons around between screens. When you're finished, you tap the button on the top of the device to lock the icons into place. And, for those curious, the icons on the nano do appear to wobble at the same frequency and angle as those on the iPhone.

Finally, the touchscreen interface enables you to rotate the screen to your liking. This is particularly useful if you have it clipped to your clothing and want to navigate the screen more easily without unclipping it—just use two fingers to rotate the screen and it will stick there forever, until you rotate it again.

(Apple seems to claim that this is enough to call the nano "multitouch," though iFixit disagrees with this definition, saying that multitouch requires at least three touchpoints. So far, the nano's interface can only take two touchpoints at a time, and only for this screen rotation feature.)

If you want to see all of these features in action, check out the short video below (please excuse my allergy-filled narration):

Demo of the iPod nano's user interface

Organize your playlists

Apple has added a feature that's not new to its other devices, but new to the iPod nano, and that is the ability to create and edit your playlists right on the device. Undoubtedly the reason Apple added this is because of the nano's touchscreen—why not? If you scroll to the top of any playlist, you are presented with "Edit" and "Clear" buttons (and if you scroll to the top of the general playlist view, there is an "Add" button).

When you tap on Edit, you can change up your playlists on the fly.

Again, if you have used this feature on an iPhone or iPod touch, you probably already know how it works: once you tap "Edit," there are red minus signs next to each song that allow you to delete them, and list icons on the right-hand side. When you tap and drag on a song's list icon, you can rearrange its order in the playlist.

To some, this may seem like a novelty feature, but I find myself creating and editing new playlists on the fly relatively often. This implementation is certainly more fleshed out than Apple's old On-the-Go playlist feature created for the scroll wheel iPods, and I prefer the new way.

"iPod Shuffle Extreme" sounds great to me. I've been thinking about another iPod for running/working out and the shuffle's size seems great but I want to navigate menus when I feel like it. I have an iPhone but hate running with it — it's just too heavy with the case and everything. I never take my phone out of its case. I'm sure I'll drop and shatter the screen as soon as I do, especially if I'm jogging...

What the hell did they do to the nano? I really hope I can still find new 5th gen ones. I love the form factor of the nano, but this just looks like a shuffle with a screen pasted on and Apple hoping no one would notice.

And no video playback? I remember watching some movies I had put on my nano 3rd gen (back when video playback was new for the nano) on long commutes and some people were actually impressed.

The interface seems like a bloated waste of space to me. Big fonts, lots of empty space... So you can only see three song titles on the screen when editing a playlist.... Or 4 icons on the screen, divided into a ton of pages....

A 'traditional' iPod UI would be much better suited for this screen size.

I don't know what Apple was thinking here. No video, a clunky UI not sizes correctly for the screen.... I sure won't be getting one.

i know most people don't get why you'd want a shuffle/nano if you've got a higher tier device like an iphone, but i use mine quite a bit. the shuffle has no screen which eliminates a key point of failure, and is basically invincible. when i go biking in the rain/offroad or running (especially at the beach), the shuffle's light weight and durability is really valuable. i don't like any extra weight when exercising and the thought of sand or saltwater killing the iphone and having to pay for a new one without the assistance of a new contract ($500 when mine got stolen while in contract) makes it not a worthwhile risk. i'm not paging through my playlist while exercising anyway so the iphone's screen, apps, and touchscreen interface would go to waste.

that said, i don't really know if a shuffle with a screen is a big deal. i liked the form factor and screen size on the previous gen nano for what it was (although i never owned one)

The new device is also the first iPod nano to have a touchscreen interface, and the last iPod with a screen to get a touchscreen interface (not counting the languishing iPod classic, as that would just turn into an iPod touch).

Wait, what? So did the classic get a touch screen, or not? I'd love to have a 160GB ipod touch, but don't think it'll happen for at leaset a couple of years as flash prices fall. Untill then, what's that line about 'cold dead hands'?

Really, Apple needs to decide if they're going to kill off the classic or not. Steve announced that they'd be updating all ipods during the last keynote, but then failed to mention any changes to the classic. It's become the unloved stepchild of the ipod family, despite having the largest size, great battery life and (last I heard) decent sales.

Haven't read all the review yet, but interested to see if there was any destructive testing done. Where's the car/balcony/washer when you need it?

I suspect the classic is so thoroughly amortized now that every one sold represents phat lootz of profit, so unless Apple decides giving it website and store real estate is too expensive, I doubt it'll be going away anytime soon.

I actually liked the last gen nano and was thinking of getting one of these to replace my 2nd gen nano, but I really don't care for the new models. I really don't get why they did this.

It's pretty simple really.

If you have an iPhone or an iPod Touch, why would you buy a last gen nano? The only probable answer is size. This update builds on that strength, and eliminates any conflict between the two.

If you want an iPod for video, Apple wants you to buy an iPod Touch, and I suspect that despite the increased size and price, people that actually wanted video playback were doing just that. As an iPhone owner, I'd never buy an iPod nano to watch video on it, but this shuffle sized device makes a pretty attractive option for running with or leaving in my car.

I do think they should have dropped the price a little, and I suspect they will next year (and perhaps they will introduce a smaller, cheaper iPod Touch too).

I completely agree about the shuffle++ assessment. I'm wondering if they're moving toward having the Nano replace the nano given the form factors and functionality are similar. I find it really weird there's no $99 4 GB shuffle to bridge the $100 price gap between the two product families.

I've got an old 5th Gen iPod which has a barely functioning middle button and the battery is completely messed up at this point. It's served me well and I think the new nano 8 GB will be a good replacement for it. I could certainly see video playback returning but I feel the screen is too small to make it worth using on a regular basis.

BigLan wrote:

Really, Apple needs to decide if they're going to kill off the classic or not. Steve announced that they'd be updating all ipods during the last keynote, but then failed to mention any changes to the classic. It's become the unloved stepchild of the ipod family, despite having the largest size, great battery life and (last I heard) decent sales.

Classic is just a niche product at this point. The price is comparable to the Touch which has a much better feature set (namely the App Store), so unless you need to cart around 160 GB of media there's really no reason to get it. However, I don't see it going away any time soon. Once the Touch hits 160 GB I think there will be serious talk of axing it, which won't happen for a while. So for now it's just in stasis.

Am I the only one here who misses buttons? After my Classic iPods, the iPhone music interface really seems like a step backwards in ease of use - maybe I'm forgetting how bad it was, but it seemed pretty easy to play music, create a playlist, etc.

I love running with my 2g Shuffle - though having playlists to switch between genres would be really nice, as would syncing to Genius playlists (why the heck not??). The buttons make it great, though - clip to back of neck, reach back for a quick song or volume change. Couldn't even emulate that with a touchscreen.

I think every audio player should have: Play/Pause, Vol+, and Vol- physical buttons.

I'll still hang on to my iPod Mini w/ 4G hard drive, firewire/USB and plugs into ANYTHING and lament that I didn't buy a gold one but bought the silver instead. I may get last years model; it's chocked full of stuff I may use and slips in my pocket.

How long does it take to scroll through all your artists if you want to listen to say the Zutons?

The touchscreen looks cool, but with the clickwheel you could easily scroll through all your artists to find what you want. Seems like it would take you 50 tiny swipes on this, what a hassle, may as well just get the shuffle.

I like the device itself, just the price and the included accessories are bad. But if you already have headphones with a built-in remote or are willing to buy one then IMHO it's actually a quite decent device for workouts and generally for sports. The iPod shuffle is too minimalistic for me and the iPod touch or my iPhone are to big, heavy and expensive for these activities. So in the end I bought one. But if I already had a 5th gen iPod nano I most likely wouldn't have.

There are plenty of people with smartphones that use dedicated MP3 players because of their size, weight, durability, or lower cost to replace. So I think there is plenty of room at the bottom for a dedicated MP3 player. And the new Nano seems like the logical end point for an MP3 player with a display. Basically a Shuffle-plus.

Unfortunately, Apple's pricing is more like a Shuffle-plus-$100-in-Steve-Jobs-pocket. Most iTunes users would choose the Shuffle over the Nano. Everyone else will just pick up a $30 MP3 player from Walmart. And teens will demand a Touch or PSP.

Still, the new Nano and Shuffle designs leave open one intriguingly silly opportunity for the enterprising DIY geek. You can expect to see the "NanoShuffle interface plug" hit stores by Xmas ;-)http://scratch.fastmail.net/NanoShuffle.jpg

How long does it take to scroll through all your artists if you want to listen to say the Zutons?

The touchscreen looks cool, but with the clickwheel you could easily scroll through all your artists to find what you want. Seems like it would take you 50 tiny swipes on this, what a hassle, may as well just get the shuffle.

I don't know about on the new Nano, but on the iPhone/iPod touch there is an alphabet on the side of lists, so if you want to get to Z you just touch the Z and you're good to go. Far faster than a clickwheel. If the Nano doesn't have this, then I could definitely see that being a pain in the neck.

How long does it take to scroll through all your artists if you want to listen to say the Zutons?

The touchscreen looks cool, but with the clickwheel you could easily scroll through all your artists to find what you want. Seems like it would take you 50 tiny swipes on this, what a hassle, may as well just get the shuffle.

Seconds, it has the vertical list of the alphabet that when pressed shows the letter you are currently scrolling through.

How long does it take to scroll through all your artists if you want to listen to say the Zutons?

The touchscreen looks cool, but with the clickwheel you could easily scroll through all your artists to find what you want. Seems like it would take you 50 tiny swipes on this, what a hassle, may as well just get the shuffle.

I don't know about on the new Nano, but on the iPhone/iPod touch there is an alphabet on the side of lists, so if you want to get to Z you just touch the Z and you're good to go. Far faster than a clickwheel. If the Nano doesn't have this, then I could definitely see that being a pain in the neck.

I have clunky fingers, so I can't even use that alphabet list on the iPod Touch. I imagine it'd be impossible in the Nano.

Not a very good review. Reads more like a description and doesn't really tell me anything I didn't know from reading Ars or Engadget on launch day. Did the interface work well? Any word on sound quality with very good headphones? I assume the sleep timer feature is still there? (SQ is one the areas where the previous iPods really take a beating compared to, for instance, the Sony devices.) Incidently, saying that the front side is practically all screen seems a bit exaggerated considering the relatively huge bezel around the display.

There are plenty of reasons why people still want to buy dedicated mp3 players: smartphones are necessarily much bigger (and heavier); my smartphone drains its battery fast enough as it is ; breaking/losing an mp3 player shouldn't be a major financial risk; some people can't use devices with cameras at work; you don't have to prioritize things like interface and SQ when considering a phone; the list goes on.

Finally: Apple's obsession with slim/small devices (which I fully endorse) comes at the expense of battery runtime, which hasn't really improved since the first Nano (I think), and only slightly since the Mini. Apparently Apple seems to think 20h is enough -- and it probably is. I still would love to see a Nano "extension" roughly the same size of NewNano, plugging into the dock port and filled with battery goodness. 60h runtime FTW!

To me, iPod nano would be a perfect companion to an iPhone if it had bluetooth connection for handsfree. It would be a perfect replacement for bluetooth headset. It would be even better if it supports AVRCP and A2DP for audio of a movie played on iPhone or iPad.

I've had mine for a day now and I think the interface is so-so but I'm getting used to it.

The main thing I like is being able to see the title of a song I'm listening to. I have a bunch of music loaded on the thing and there are times when I'm running when I want to find out the artist/name of song and wasn't able to with my old shuffle.

I'm also another person that can't stand running with a phone. Too heavy and I like to leave my calls and email at home when I run!

I was really disappointed in this "review"... doesn't tell me much more than what I could gather from Apple's website.

The reviewer didn't have much personal use for such a device so didn't seem to really care to think about those who would have need for such a device. Good reviews put themselves in the shoes of the intended audience, as well as providing their own more personal feelings about the device.

What's it like to scroll through hundreds of albums, podcasts, songs? Can you really only see three or so songs at a time? If you switch from playing a song to playing an artist song, then go back to the podcast, does it return to where you left off? What's it like to use on a daily basis - in the car, working out, taking a walk? How's the sound quality? Sound pretty good hooked up to a stereo? With the new form factor and OS, any trouble using it with iPod dock type external devices, such as a Bose SoundDock?

One of the things I liked about previous gen nanos was that I could walk out of a restaurant with my take-out lunch in one hand and reach into my pocket and resume playing what I was listening to without even taking the nano out of my pocket. Barring having headphones with such controls, is that something that you really miss, or do you just get used to using it differently. Is that a "play"/"pause" button there on the home screen?

Can we get someone to "re-review" who feels like putting a little more time into it?

These zig-zags in the product lineup has one interesting effect: Resale price of previous models stays high. Some people will prefer the previous generation Nano, so they'll go to eBay or other sources to buy used or refurbished ones. Other people will love the smaller size of the new Nano. Some people will like the buttons on the newer shuffle, others (like me) might prefer the 4-gig capacity and tie-clip form factor that was available in the previous model.

The result is that Apple has even more models of iPods for people to choose from, even though they aren't making some of those models any more.

Some people will prefer the previous generation Nano, so they'll go to eBay or other sources to buy used or refurbished ones.

This reminds me of the end of the iPod mini. I remember reports of people buying up remaining stock where they could and selling them well over MSRP on eBay. Pink ones were particularly sought after, if I remember correctly. I wonder if the 5th gen nano will experience any of the same activity?

This reminds me of the end of the iPod mini. I remember reports of people buying up remaining stock where they could and selling them well over MSRP on eBay. Pink ones were particularly sought after, if I remember correctly. I wonder if the 5th gen nano will experience any of the same activity?

Really, Apple needs to decide if they're going to kill off the classic or not. Steve announced that they'd be updating all ipods during the last keynote, but then failed to mention any changes to the classic. It's become the unloved stepchild of the ipod family, despite having the largest size, great battery life and (last I heard) decent sales.

We do we need to eliminate the classic just because it hasn't been updated? Shovels today are about the same as shovels 1,000 years ago. That doesn't mean we need to insist on eliminating shovels. The classic has a simple function that it does well. It just so happens that not many people need that anymore since other devices are more specifically useful to their needs. But as long as there are some people out there who want one and it's profitable to Apple to make it available, why not just have it there? What is so offensive about its unupdated presence that prompts people into insisting that Apple needs to force it into retirement? R&D on the classic is basically done. There isn't much being invested into it anymore so the profit per unit is pretty high now. There's no reason to do anything with it except produce enough to meet the demand.